A High Commitment Team Dedicated to Caring for Your Pet
CASE #6
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Scrappy
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Scrappy is a 2-year-old mixed breed dog that fell on some rough times.
He was adopted earlier this year by a regular client of Lexington
Boulevard Animal Hospital. When he first came in, Scrappy felt miserable.
As you can see from the picture, he was almost entirely devoid of
hair and was covered in sores. It was immediately apparent that he
had a skin infection, but the culprit first had to be identified before
an appropriate treatment could begin. When dogs have hair loss due to inflammation of the hair follicles (folliculitis), the offending organisms are either bacteria, ringworm, or mites. To isolate which is to blame, your veterinarian may decide to run a fungal culture here at the hospital. On the other hand, mites can usually be identified by performing a skin scraping of the affected areas. This simple procedure requires no anesthesia. In Scrappy's case, we distracted him with a dog treat to complete the procedure. Once we have scraped the skin, the material we obtain can be analyzed under the microscope. A diagnosis of the red mange mite (Demodex canis) took us once step closer to a cure. There are several ways to treat for Demodex infections. For mild or localized infections, some ointment applied to the areas may be all that is required. Other patients require more intense treatment involving oral ivermectin or a series of weekly dips. To ensure that the mites do not return in these severe cases, we continue treatment 2 weeks past a negative skin scraping test. Because the mites live deep in the hair follicles, treatment often lasts for several months. During this period of time, we often will prescribe antibiotics because bacteria can work with Demodex to create a more serious infection. Today Scrappy has completely regrown his haircoat and he is grateful for his owner's generosity. Demodex is a common cause of hair loss in young dogs. While it is not contagious to other dogs or people, often several puppies in a litter will be affected due to a genetic predisposition. While Scrappy had an especially severe infection, this case illustrates the importance of investigating hair loss before it gets out of hand. |
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2627 Cordes Drive Sugar Land, Texas 77479 24-Hour Emergency Care for Our Clients Phone:(281) 980-3737 Fax: (281) 265-5584 Email:info@lexingtonpethospital.com |
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